


Strange pairs. They can achieve the most unexpected things.

by Luls



Category: Black Sails
Genre: Angst, Arguing because they're two idiots, Bones is a little bit an asshole, First Kiss, Flint being an overprotective cinnamon roll, M/M, Madi is so done with them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-27 05:05:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8388355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luls/pseuds/Luls
Summary: He couldn’t breath, he couldn’t move. Everything was hurting everything was burning around him.He couldn’t see, the pain was too great to even think.He tried to move, to see, but another wave of nausea made him bend forward almost falling to the ground.He heard somebody calling but he couldn’t recognize anything.Howell told him, Howell tried to make him stop wearing that fucking boot and now he was going to lose another piece of his leg.He cussed, trying to do something, trying to not show his weakness to the enemies but most especially to his crew. They couldn’t see, they couldn’t know, they had to think that Long John Silver  was going to rain holy hell on England.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shhhimthinking](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shhhimthinking/gifts).



> So... damn.  
> This is my first Black Sails fic, my first silverflint.  
> It was supposed to be a smut after I talked with a friend (also called my amazing beta <3) but then THIS HAPPENED.  
> I have to thank also Ale (@thegoblincity) and Ashley (@hawkbi_pierce) to have given me the approval to use a prompt about Flint and Silver. Hope you both like how I used them!  
> This is the longest fic I've ever wrote, I spent four freaking days on it and I can't believe it, seriously lol  
> I'm pretty satisfied of what came out of my naughty mind.  
> I hope there won't be too many mistakes, sorry english is not really my native language.  
> So... enjoy the reading!

#  Strange pairs.  
They can achieve the most unexpected things 

# 

  
  
  
_Pain  
Pain everywhere.  
Screams, gunshot, body falling in the ground with a sick thud. _

  
He couldn’t breath, he couldn’t move. Everything was hurting everything was burning around him.  
He couldn’t see, the pain was too great to even think.  
He tried to move, to see, but another wave of nausea made him bend forward almost falling to the ground.  
He heard somebody calling but he couldn’t recognize anything.  
Howell told him, Howell tried to make him stop wearing that fucking boot and now he was going to lose another piece of his leg.  
He cussed, trying to do something, trying to not show his weakness to the enemies but most especially to his crew. They couldn’t see, they couldn’t know, they had to think that _Long John Silver_ was going to rain holy hell on England.  
Somebody took his arm and he moved swiftly the sword to defend himself, failing.  
His stump send another wave of pain and nausea, his sight blacking out again.  
“Easy, you can’t stay here. What the fuck were you thinking?!” said the other, holding him.  
He blinked several times, breathing hard, waiting for the pain to pass.  
“You’re going back at the camp. Let Madi and her healers help you and when this fucking battle is done you’re gonna deal with Howell”.  
Silver looked up, finally managing to, and he growled.  
“What the fuck are you talking about. I can’t. I have to stay with my men”.  
Billy shielded him from an officer trying to cut his arm off.  
“I don’t give a fuck about the men right now Silver. You almost fainted in the middle of a fucking battle. If the Captain hadn’t -”  
The captain.  
_Flint._  
“Where is he?” he asked almost painfully, trying to see him somewhere in that bloody mess.  
“It’s not fucking important where is he, Silver, you have to get back. We can’t have you dead, not now” Billy said again, still holding him by the arm and pushing him towards the forest glade.  
“Fucking leave me Billy, I’m not going back, they need me -” tried again but as soon as he tried to shake his hold off, another wave of dizziness took his breath away.  
“Would you shut up for a moment?! While you were having your little moment, we had to circle you and tried to not get you killed! The crew knows you’re in pain and we all fucking helped you. We don’t think you weak, would you fucking understand? You've already done so much for the all crew! So now you’re going back to Madi and let her deal with that fucking leg. Do you understand me?!” shouted the bosun, tightening his grip.  
But Silver was too far off to hear what he said, the last movement still sending waves of pain and dizziness.  
He was feeling too hot suddenly, everything was moving around him, he couldn’t distinguish Billy’s face anymore, couldn’t understand if he was still upright or lying down on the ground.  
He tried to breath, he tried to say something but he couldn’t.  
“- ilver?”  
He felt something moving beside him, somebody calling him again.  
His blood was throbbing inside his veins, the stump was cutting off his breaths, his thoughts.  
“- you hear me?”  
He couldn’t just die here, he couldn’t leave his crew, he couldn’t let the legend die, he -  
Silver felt himself throwing up, losing his footing, hitting the stump in the ground.  
He screamed, pain reverberating in his body, but it was covered by the sounds of the battle.  
He heard Billy calling out for somebody, calling for help, but he was as if he was far far away from Silver.  
He was fucking gonna die, the legend Long John Silver was going to die for a fucking infection, after all he got through.  
Thievery, lies, heat, his leg chopped off, the storm, hunger, dehydration, _Captain Flint …_  
If he wasn’t gonna die now, surely James was gonna kill him.  


  


He couldn’t fucking believe it. _That fucking idiot._  
The battle was over, the beach and nearby forest were covered in blood and bodies, some of them already burnt.  
He was scanning the place in search for more bodies of his crew but it seemed that they knew what they had to do, only few dead.  
But there was a constant thought that was eating him from inside.  
That fucking idiot hadn’t listened to him, he came into the fucking battle and he almost got himself killed.  
He thought he was gonna die as soon as he saw that idiot almost fainting in the middle of the bloody battle.  
He would have to thank Billy for his quickness.  
He almost died, he almost died in front in his eyes, almost left him alone as Miranda-  
“-ptain?”  
He couldn't let this happen, he couldn’t fail to protect him as he did with the others, he couldn’t let death take him too, he wasn’t gonna survive this time, he wasn’t -  
“Captain?”  
Flint snapped back to reality, almost shaking with fear, feeling his eyes burn.  
“What” said with gruff voice.  
Doctor Howell looked at him with a distressed stare, fidgeting with his hands, as if he was afraid of the words he was gonna say.  
James felt his heart hammering painfully in his chest, blood throbbing.  
“We need to cut down more of his leg, the infection-”  
“What”.  
Howell sighed, running his bloody hands over his face.  
“The infection got worse. I told him to not wear the boot all the time. We have to cut more of his leg and we have to be fast. We already lost precious time”.  
The crew around him started to talk worriedly, trying to see Silver laying in the tent behind Howell.  
He felt a hand touch him on the shoulder while he was staring at the ground, speechless.  
Flint looked up and met Madi’s sad eyes.  
“We tried to help him, we tried to clean the wound. But it's too late this time. I’m sorry”.  
He shaked his head, not trusting his voice enough to talk.  
Madi knelt before him, taking his hands between hers, her gaze softening.  
If somebody would have told him few weeks ago that he was gonna trust and protect her after what she and her mother did to them, he would have laughed.  
Now he just stared at her with a lump in his throat, trying to not make himself look like an idiotic sentimental, not in front of his crew.  
She smiled again, almost touching his forehead with hers.  
“He needs you”.  
“I don’t think -” he said finally, his voice still hoarse.  
“I think you can. He needs you, more than ever now. It is time you allow yourself to love”.  
Flint shut up again, feeling his heart sting.  
_It is time you allow yourself to accept that.  
Miranda. _  
She would have scold him again, probably, because he wasn’t letting himself to love, afraid to betray Thomas’ memory.  
_Know no shame._  
He had never missed Miranda and Thomas as much as now.  
He was completely lost, for the first time in ten years he didn’t know what he was supposed to do.  
He almost jumped back when he felt Madi’s cool finger touch his temples.  
“Stop thinking and go to him. He needs you as much as you need him”.  
His crew was still talking, he was only catching few words, trying to go and support Silver like the last time.  
He met Billy’s worried stare, standing near doctor Howell with Ben Gunn.  
Another young boy saved by Silver’s words.  
He smiled bitterly and stood up.  
Instantly the crew shut up, looking at him as like they feared he was finally gonna kill their quartermaster.  
“Lead the way” was his only answer, nodding towards the tent.  
If any of them wasn’t happy of his choice, nobody said so.  
Howell walked fast back to the tent, Flint and Madi behind him.  
“Call for me if you need anything and I’ll send few of my healers” said her before pushing him inside.  
What he saw inside almost made him regret his choice.  
Silver’s body was displayed over the cot, blood everywhere, his face dirty of dried mud mixed with blood, the trousers almost inexistent over his left leg, the stump sending a nauseating smell of bad infection and blood.  
But his eyes were open, veiled with pain and fear.  
That got him moving, almost running to him.  
“You’re a bloody fucking idiot”.  
Silver tried to speak but he put his finger on lips, shaking softly his head, before keep talking.  
“You are. What were you thinking? I told you to stay at the camp, to protect the people, to protect Madi. But you didn’t listened to me. What would have happened if I hadn’t notice? What would have happened if Billy wasn’t that close to you? You can’t play with your life like that, not anymore. I can’t -”  
His voice broke and he tried to steady his heartbeat, to keep his emotions at bay.  
But the stress and the fear were too much this time, too much at stake, too much pain.  
He couldn’t lose him too, he couldn’t -  
“James”.  
His glare focused on Silver again, his face trying to hide the pain, failing.  
He was already sweating, the fever from the infection colouring his cheeks and veiling his blue eyes.  
“What were you doing ?” he said again, this time whispering close to his ears, looking worriedly at his face and trying to not caressing Silver’s curls.  
“Protecting you” was the answer and Flint had to close his eyes for a few moments, his tears threatening to fall down.  
He couldn’t show his fear to Silver, he had to be strong, for both of them or they were never gonna survive this fully.  
Howell stared at them in awe, having never seen something so beautiful yet so dangerous.  
They could manipulate the world together, make men follow them, burn the whole world down.  
He let them steal few more moments before he coughed lightly, letting them know there was still work to do.  
Silver, laying down, hot with fever, could still notice the softness in Flint’s eyes disappear as soon as Howell got their attention.  
“I need you to keep him down. It’s gonna hurt, and he’ll probably try to escape”.  
Silver widened his eyes, withholding a sob.  
“You said you could clean the infection!” he croaked, trying to sit up.  
Flint’s hands pushed him down again.  
“I told you to use the crutches and not the boot. It’s your fault if now we have to cut off another piece”.  
“You said you could! You’re a fucking liar! You won’t fucking touch me again -”  
The captain closed his eyes again, trying to not kill Howell there and then, trying to think a different way, trying to not make Silver suffer, not again.  
They kept screaming, the quartermaster trying to get down the bed, trying to save himself.  
“John”.  
“Do you want to die? Didn’t you hear Billy?! Will you just let me work? I’m trying to save your life here -”  
“You’re bloody not! You’re making my life a hell! Since that fucking day -”  
“Stop it” tried again Flint, keeping Silver down.  
“You were going to die! You lost too much blood! You’re part of this crew, I have to take care of that!”  
“I don’t give a fuck! Have you tried to think how I feel?! You made my life a fucking hell! How can I go around with those damn crutches and expect people to follow me?! How do -”  
“ENOUGH!”  
Howell and Silver stop screaming at each other and turned to him.  
He looked at the doctor with anger, trying and failing to stay calm. The whole a situation was a mess and he was so scared of what was gonna happen to Silver.  
He wasn’t there the first time but the stories that kept running between his crew and Nassau were enough to make his blood run cold.  
“Get on with it. We don’t have all day”.  
“What?! No no no no you don’t understand! You -” tried again Silver, attempting to escape Flint’s hold.  
“Stop it” .  
“No no, fuck no not again please not again please -”  
“Silver”.  
“No please, please I’ll use the crutches not again please no -”  
“Silver” tried again but the other just kept pleading and shaking his head, completely at the mercy of fear.  
“John” he whispered finally, trying to look at him in the eyes.  
Silver stilled, his face a mask of terror.  
“You’re not alone. Do you understand me? You’re not alone. I’ll take care of you, I promise”.  
“No -”  
“Yes, yes I’ll take care of you, I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you”.  
Flint pressed his forehead to John’s and breathed deeply.  
He felt Howell getting all his work tools and putting it on the table near the cot.  
He gave him a piece of cloth.  
“Knot it just above the infection. It will stop the blood from running freely when we cut”.  
James nodded and had to break the contact between him and Silver, doing as Howell instructed.  
They waited few moments, letting James go back to his position.  
“Keep him steady” he just said, before bringing the axe down.  
Silver unexpectedly just squeezed his eyes and only a painful moan left his mouth.  
Flint kept him down, feeling him trying to escape the pain, trying to get away from that again.  
It was hurting too much, it was destroying him, he could tell from the tears on the sides of his eyes.  
“Shhh I’ve got you John, I’ve got you” heard himself said, foreheads pressed together, both of them breathing harshly.  
“It hurts, God it hurts” whispered Silver, opening his eyes again.  
“I know John, I know”.  
Their hands clasped together, foreheads pressed into one another, breathing the same air.  
Howell felt like he was disturbing something pure, something important between his Captain and his quartermaster.  
He always noticed the close relationship they’ve started to have as soon as Silver lost his leg, always notices the lingering stares they send to each other when they thought no one was watching.  
He didn’t have a problem with that, no, but he needed to admit that the sight, just the thought of them together as partners frightened him a little.  
_Strange pairs. They could achieve the most unexpected things._  
He let the axe fall again, trying nor to linger too much on the loud moans of pain that Silver was trying to hide.  
Flint kept whispering soothing words to Silver’s ears, one hand clasped with John’s one, the other caressing back his sweaty curls.  
“I can’t oh God I can’t. James it hurts James -”  
“I know I know, almost done. You can do it , I know it, you can do it”.  
He started thrashing against the cot, screaming and shaking, the captain trying to hold him down, trying to not show his grief to see him this way.  
One tear escaped Silver’s eyes and Flint, without even thinking just kissed it away.  
He heard the other’s breath falter, the screams lessen and he smiled softly, that smile he used only with Thomas and Miranda, his barriers at this point taken down.  
_Know no shame indeed._  
Howell made the final cut, but they were too focused on looking at each other, as if it was the first time, to notice.  
James was still smiling, caressing Silver’s face, holding his hand.  
“It’s done John, it’s done” whispered kissing his forehead, trying to put what he couldn’t say into that action.  
John looked at him as if he was seeing him for the first time all over again, his eyes big and dark blue, still tinged with fever, too far gone with pain.  
But before he could say anything he felt his strength leaving his body, and he passed out.  
“John?”  
Flint straightened up, looking at his face, worried.  
“John?”  
Still no answer.  
He shaked his body first softly then harder but Silver’s body was like a puppet.  
“John please”.  
The blood was throbbing, his breath coming in short pants.  
“John damn it answer me”.  
He tried to find something that could tell him that Silver was still there, with him.  
Nothing.  
“Howell what the fuck is happening?” he growled, trying to hide the fear spreading through his veins.  
The doctor stopped and looked at the patient, turning white.  
“What the fuck did you do to him?!”  
Flint crossed the distance between them fastly and grabbed him by the collar.  
“Captain!”  
“WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO HIM” he yelled at his face, holding him up and pushing him to the wall.  
“I just cut off the infection I -”  
“You fucking didn’t! Bring him back! Do something!”  
The yelling alarmed Billy and Ben, who came in running stopping at the sight before them.  
The bosun then went to Flint and Howell trying to separate them, while Ben tried to help Silver.  
“Flint stop it”.  
The captain kept yelling at the doctor, tightening the hold.  
“Flint damn it stop! Leave him!”  
“Fucking leave me alone!” he pushed Billy behind.  
“What the hell are you doing Flint? What?! Fucking leave him so he can tend to Silver!” tried then, seeing that his captain was too gone with fear of losing the quartermaster to really think about what was happening.  
“You said he was going to be fine! You said it!”  
While the three were still arguing and trying to save Howell’s life from Flint’s hold, Ben was looking at Silver, passed out on the cot.  
He bent down and trying to hear his breathing but he couldn’t.  
He widened his eyes in fear and trying to feel the pulse on John’s neck.  
It was very feeble, too feeble and it looked like he wasn’t breathing.  
Shit  
“Billy” tried to call his partner.  
They were still arguing and Ben was panicking himself.  
He couldn’t let Silver die, he couldn’t because he know he was an important piece of the crew, an important piece for the war, _an important piece of Captain Flint._  
They all noticed, it wasn’t really a secret and they were clever enough to not say anything about it.  
They couldn’t let those two lose one another.  
“Billy” tried again, this time louder.  
But their yelling was still covering his voice.  
“BILLY!”  
“Ben not now”.  
Ben choked down a sob trying to find the strength to survive mentally.  
“Billy he’s not breathing, Silver’s not breathing”.  
He looked up again and saw Flint pushing back Billy again.  
This was gonna end in a bloody mess if he didn’t say anything.  
There was Silver dying out on that cot and they were arguing like fucking schoolmates.  
“Billy, Silver’s not breathing please help him he’s not breathing”.  
Finally it seemed that Howell heard him and he tried to stop the captain and the bosun.  
“What did you say Ben?”  
“Silver… Silver’s not breathing”.  
That got Flint’s attention too, who stilled and looked at him with big eyes.  
“What”.  
Ben tried to say it again but he could only managed to sob.  
The captain pushed away Billy and run to the cot.  
“John fuck John don’t leave me, don’t leave me” he started to whisper, his fear now unleashed.  
He put his ear on Silver’s chest.  
“C’mon John, c’mon”.  
He started to push on his chest as a madman, alternating it with trying to hear his breathing start again.  
“Captain stop!”  
“Take him out take him out!”  
Billy and Ben were trying to do so, clear that he was having a panic attack.  
“Do something! Don’t you fucking just stay there and do nothing! Do fucking something!” yelled again and tried to get Howell again.  
But Billy was faster and he took Flint by his collar and pushed him against the wall.  
“Stop it! You’re not helping! We need you focused damn it! Silver’s need you!”  
“Fucking leave me alone Billy! Leave me alone!”  
Ben and Howell were busying themselves around Silver, pushing on his chest as Flint tried to do.  
“What the hell are you doing! Fucking bring him back to me!”  
The captain tried again to get off from Billy’s hold but it was blocking his throat.  
“Leave me!”  
“Captain stop! You won’t help him like that!”  
He tried again to fight against him, tried again and again, but Billy kept his hold while Ben and Howell were still trying to help Silver.  
“John .. please bring him back to me please... John” .  
Howell stopped moving and looked at his bosun and captain.  
“What now?!”  
“I’m.. I’m sorry”.  
Flint felt like his whole world was crashing down on him.  
It couldn’t be, it was a joke, it couldn’t be damn it it couldn’t.  
_Not again, not again please, oh God not again, not John not again please._  
He didn’t notice his nails cutting his hands, he didn’t notice how he thrashed against Billy, he didn’t notice his screaming like they were cutting him open.  
He didn’t feel it when Billy struck him on the back of the head.  
He just collapsed on the floor, the world hell around him.

  
  
Everything was still. No wind, no sound.  
He felt like waking up after a long dream, after surviving hell.  
His body was tingling, the back of the head felt numb. He opened his eyes and found himself looking at the ceiling of a tent.  
_What the-_  
Then it all came crashing back to him.  
“John”.  
He tried to sit on the bed, but the wound on the back of the head made him dizzy.  
He breathed slowly, waiting for the nausea to pass.  
As soon as the sight cleared he stood up, looking around him.  
It was the same tent where they tried to help Silver, but all the blood and the mess was gone.  
It run his blood cold, fear biting the back of his neck.  
It was a nightmare he knew it, it couldn’t be that Silver was.. that he was…  
He couldn’t even think about it, tears burning at the sides of his eyes.  
He was going to panic again, as he did before Billy struck him down. He was going to panic and suffer but this time there wasn’t Silver or Miranda or Thomas to bring him back from the darkness.  
“Oh thank God you’re awake” said a voice behind him and turned to see Billy standing there, almost looking sheepish.  
“Hey well I’m -”  
“Where’s Silver?”  
Billy stopped talking and he sighed, but he didn’t answer.  
“Where’s Silver?” asked again, trying to keep his feeling at bay.  
“Look I -”  
“Where. is. Silver.”  
He was growling again, the hearth speeding again, blood throbbing.  
“It’s better you come with me”.  
“Where is he”.  
Billy sighed again, massaging his temples.  
“Will you trust me one single time? Just this time”.  
Flint looked at him, searching for anything that would tell him where was Silver and if he was still alive.  
“Just come… will you?”  
He nodded slowly and follow Billy out of the tent.  
He had to close his eyes for a few moments because of the sun outside.  
He thought it was night, or -  
“How much did I sleep?”  
“Well you weren’t p-”  
“You know what I meant Billy” replied scornfully.  
The bosun held his hands up.  
“You slept through the night, both for the blow and for the tiredness of the battle. Nothing changed in those hours”.  
They kept walking through the village, some of the villagers looking at him.  
They walked up the path to the headquarters, where there were also the huts for those belonging to the Council.  
Madi came out from one of them and looked up at Flint.  
Guilt gripped his stomach; she cared a lot for Silver, she trusted him enough to give him Silver, she thought him strong enough to save him.  
She didn’t say anything, not even smiled.  
Instead she took his hand and lead him to his and Silver’s hut.  
Before they could enter she smiled at him, moving his hands on both sides of his face.  
She made him bend a little and she kissed his forehead, as if she was giving him her blessing.  
“What” he tried to say, confused.  
She shaked her head and smiled again, before indicating the hut with her head.  
“Billy’s coming with you”.  
That sentence made him stop and he looked back at his bosun.  
Billy clearly understood what he was thinking and he smiled.  
Many things had changed since that day.  
Life gave him happiness than sadness and struggles, but it felt like this time it was the last time, he couldn't do it anymore.  
Even if fear was still biting at the back of his head, he entered the hut, almost gasping out loud from what it was before his eyes.  
Silver was laying down, leaning back on the pillows on the bedpost and he was alive.  
He was smiling, telling his crewmates one of his stupid stories and they were all enthralled by his words, so they didn’t hear the captain and the bosun coming in.  
He tried to breath correctly but he couldn’t, relieved to see his quartermaster breathing and alive.  
“How the fuck happened? He wasn’t breathing yesterday” he whispered angrily, not moving his eyes off from the curly man.  
“Apparently some of blood got into his lungs and laying down he couldn’t spit it out. Madi came as soon as she heard us yelling and she found fastly enough the problem. Her healers saved him at last, one moment later and he wouldn’t be here with us” explained Billy behind him, while Ben had noticed them and came standing near them.  
Flint breathed out shakily, trying again to gain some control of his body.  
“I have to thank her. She saved us again it seems”.  
“That won’t be necessary” said a voice on his left and he turned, finding Madi standing there with a motherly smile.  
“Of course -”  
“It won’t. I know how much he means to you. I see how much he loves you and how much you love him. I just give you another chance to make it right”.  
“Why?” he asked breathless, searching some form of regret in her brown eyes.  
“Why help us? You could… you’re attracted to him, so why help me?”  
Madi shaked her head, becoming serious again.  
“I like him, yes, but trying to marry him was only going to be his end. He loves you James, he is like you, he needs you to survive his darkness. I thought I could save him but I can’t. Because he needs you and not me, you’re the cause that made him survived yesterday, you’re why he still fights. The way he looks at you, the way he tries to make you proud, the way he tries to stay at your side even if he’s suffering. You’re two pieces of a whole soul and I think it’s time that someone tells you that.”  
Flint lowered his head, letting Madi’s word get through him. It was unbelievable how wise she was, how skilled to be a leader.  
He looked at her again and nodded slightly, his eyes soft, saying what he couldn’t say with words, because too overwhelmed.  
She returned the smile but before any of them could say something another voice stopped them.  
“I’m sorry Captain but I’m trying to tell a story here and you are distracting my audience!”.  
Some of his crew started to laugh and Flint couldn’t stop his lip from curving upward.  
“Glad to see you’re still with us, Mr. Quartermaster but we still have to win a war. So I suggest you to get rested and ready”.  
Somebody on his left yelled “oh c’mon!” (he imagined to be Dooley), but he was too focused on looking at Silver.  
“You heard the Captain!” said Billy after few moments.  
The men protested some more but they all stood up, some of them waving at the quartermaster, others patting him on the shoulder.  
“Howell”.  
The doctor stopped just at the threshold of the hut.  
“Yes Captain?”  
“I imagine all is well”.  
“Yes Captain, he still need to wash it and keep the stump clean. And he won’t be able to use the boot anymore”.  
“What a pity” Flint said without really meaning it.  
Then he finally looked at Howell and he nodded as he did with Madi, letting him know he was grateful to have had Silver back.  
Howell smiled before exiting the hut, following the crew.  
Billy went to Silver and patted his back.  
“It’s good to have you back mate. Who was gonna stop Flint if not you?”  
Silver laughed while James rolled his eyes.  
“Get out Bones, before I skin you with my own hands”.  
“Ben wouldn’t want that, right Ben?” replied Silver, winking at the blond.  
“Who the fuck is Ben now?”  
They all laughed while Flint was trying to hide his smile, again.  
“I guess this is our clue to leave the two manipulators alone” said Billy and pushed Ben outside.  
“Bones. I meant it. Watch your fucking back”.  
He could hear Billy laughing, walking down the road, but his attention was once more focused on Silver.  
Madi went to him, sitting on the bed and looking at him worried.  
They exchanged some words but he couldn’t hear them because they were whispering and he was trying to not eavesdrop what looked like a private conversation.  
He looked up again at them when he heard Silver laugh and noticed also the sweet smile of Madi while she was shaking her head.  
Then he tried to not react when he saw her reaching for his hands and holding his between hers.  
With few last words she stood up and kiss Silver’s forehead as she did with Flint’s.  
“Be careful, he’s still weak” she said before exiting the hut and leaving them alone.  
He waited a few moments before looking up, meeting Silver’s stare.  
John was looking at him sheepishly, with a hint of fear in his blue eyes.  
It was as if he was scared that Flint was gonna scold him, that he was gonna leave him behind next time.  
“I’m s-”  
“Shut up”.  
He looked at Flint, hurt in his feelings for having been stopped.  
“You didn’t know what I was gonna say!”  
“Yes I do”.  
“No you don’t!”  
Flint sighed, closing his eyes while Silver was trying to sit up more.  
“You were going to say you’re sorry for have been an idiot and for not have used the crutches when you had the need to”.  
Silver closed his mouth and furrowed his forehead.  
He felt Flint coming closer and then sat on the bed, near his leg.  
“How you feel?”  
“Fine”.  
Flint looked at him, unimpressed.  
“Stop this shit right now. You’re not fine, you lost another piece of you leg. How could-”  
“What happened in there?”  
The captain was thrown off by his question, and he stopped talking, looking at the other with his brows furrowed.  
“What was that? What-”  
Silver took a deep breath, fidgeting with his hands over his lap.  
For the first time in in life, he didn’t know what to say, he didn’t know what to do.  
They both remembered very good what have happened in the other tent, the kiss on the cheek, the longing stares, the whispered soothing words.  
Flint waited, his heart heavy, trying to not press the other man, knowing that this situation was hard as much as it was for him.  
Few minutes passed, uncomfortable, before Silver found the courage to ask what he asked months back.  
“I wonder where you and I stand”.  
_Keep wondering_ he had answered the first time.  
Now Flint felt like he had to say something, he had to clear the doubts, he had to finally let it go.  
“Back to the first battle we were friends”.  
He closed his eyes again, breathed in and out, before he extended a hand toward John.  
He tried to not beam out loud when he felt Silver’s fingers folding his.  
He looked back up, meeting his stare and he found him smiling, a sweet and shy smile, covered in part by those moustache and beard he started to let grow the past few months.  
“Now…”  
“Now?”  
Flint smiled at his impatience and moved his other hand to cover John’s cheek.  
“Now I would like to be something more” whispered softly enough, not sure if Silver heard him at all.  
Silver closed his eyes, enjoying the warm feeling Flint’s hand on his cheek, breathing in his scent, blood mixed with pine and smoke and leather, a scent that screamed “James”.  
He opened again his eyes, bringing down all the walls and showing Flint the real John Silver.  
He tried to put into his gaze all the feelings of that moment : love, happiness, excitement, relief, pride and just a little bit of fear.  
He didn’t cover up anything, he trusted Flint, he loved Flint, and even if in the past he lied to him, he wanted to be honest and be the real John with him.  
James unfolded their hands, and moved it to his cheek, so that he was holding Silver’s face gently, his thumbs caressing his cheekbones.  
He smiled again, as they laid down years of lies and suffering to become just James and John.  
They felt synchronized, as if the time slowed down, allowing them to enjoy that moment, a moment they realized they've been expecting since forever.  
They didn’t need to say out loud what they were thinking, they could tell from each other’s eyes, the soft gaze they used only when they were looking at one another.  
James kept caressing his cheekbones, feeling happy and completed, understanding what Thomas and Miranda told him years ago.  
_Know no shame_  
How could he feel shame when he was looking at John and he was seeing all his love the other felt for him? How could he think about what the others thought of them when he felt happy and completed?  
He moved closer to John keep staring first at his eyes then at his lips, and back.  
“Mmh, something got your attention captain?” murmured John, obviously flirting with his usual sneaky smile.  
“What do you think?”  
“I think you want to kiss me but you’re a fucking coward” whispered John licking slowly his lips and smiling triumphantly when he saw Flint following the movement with his eyes.  
“Is that so?”  
Silver laughed breathless, humming pleased when Flint slided toward him, so that he could still rest his back on the pillows.  
He hummed again circling James’ neck with his arms.  
“How’s your leg?”  
“Good”.  
“If you feel pain please -”  
“Yes, James, yes. Now...would you please kiss me or do I have to call reinforcements?”  
They both laughed, pressing their foreheads together.  
“You’re bossy”.  
“Nah, I’m long John Silver” hummed again before finally - finally - feeling James’ lips on his.  
For a few moments neither of them moved, the sensation overwhelming them.  
Then slowly Flint moved one hand over the bedpost to keep himself still, trying to not weigh on Silver, while the other was still caressing his cheekbone.  
He felt John trying to follow him into the kiss, sitting more up with a moan.  
Flint broke the kiss and looked at him sweetly.  
“Easy there, I don’t want you to feel pain”.  
“The why are you not kissing me?”  
Flint laughed again before reconnect their lips.  
Silver moved his hands on Flint’s head, kissing him slowly, tasting him.  
The only noise that could be heard was the sound of them breaking the kiss before starting all over again.  
Silver could do it for all the day, if it wasn’t for that fucking stump. It was giving him hell but he would never stop kissing James.  
His lips were so soft, his taste was making John drunk, the smell circling him like a warm blanket.  
He stopped and opened his eyes, looking at James with undisguised happiness.  
Flint smiled again and kisses his nose, still foreheads together.  
“How do you feel?”  
“I swear on my good leg that if you’re fucking gonna ask again if I’m fine I’ll fucking hit the shit out of you with the -”  
James caught again his lips, stopping him and circling his hips with an arm.  
They were using all the time, kissing, keeping their eyes closed, foreheads together, slowing down only when they need air.  
Silver was trying to not think about the stump but it was burning, probably the fever was coming back.  
He broke the kiss and put his forehead against James’ shoulder.  
“Hey easy. What’s wrong” whispered worried the other trying to look at him.  
“It hurts”.  
“I told you we-”  
“Shut up James”.  
“No John I shouldn’t -”  
“Just shut up okay? I wanted it too and I fucking hate this. I fucking can’t enjoy something I’ve been expecting since I met you just because this fucking stump is giving me hell”.  
James caressed his curls back, kissing his head.  
“I’m sorry”.  
“Don’t be, it’s not your fault”.  
“Yes it is. I should have been there, I should have known they were going to try to leave us -”  
“Stop it”.  
John held his face, looking at him in the eyes.  
“Are we going to blame ourselves till we die? We have to stop if we want to… keep going with this okay?”  
He saw passing before his eyes all the evil they had done to each others, all the lies, the arguments and it wasn’t the time to think about it. The past was the past and John was asking him that, to leave the past behind and continue together.  
“Please”.  
“At one condition”.  
John looked at him, frowning but not moving his hands.  
“What” replied after few moments.  
“You’re gonna take the opium -”  
Silver took his hands back and tried to slide backwards.  
“Absolutely fuck no”.  
“John”.  
“No James, you fucking don’t understand. I don’t want to take that shit okay? I don’t want to be fucking high while I’m with you. I won’t fucking take that shit because I want to be focused and lucid”.  
“And hurt yourself more just because you want to fucking kiss me?”  
Silver closed his mouth, not covering up his hurt face fastly enough.  
Flint cursed mentally and tried to take his hand, almost gasping when the other moved out of his reach.  
“John-”  
“Call Madi”.  
He felt jealousy grabbing his stomach, looking at Silver turned his face toward the window.  
“I-”  
“Call Madi and get the fuck out will you?”  
Flint stood up, spreading his arms, with an annoyed look on his face.  
Everything was going so good and now that idiot was behaving like a fucking child.  
“Fine. Do whatever the fuck you want. Keep suffering alone because you can’t fucking show us that you’re suffering-”  
“Fuck you James! Fuck you!”  
“I leave you two sure that you will finally tells each other how much you care and I found you two already arguing over a stupid thing”.  
They both turned to Madi, who was looking at them with crossed arms leaning on the threshold.  
“He is suffering but won’t take the fucking opium. See what you can do, I’m out”.  
Before Madi or John could say anything, James crossed the room with long strides and left the room.  
“Fuck!”  
Madi moved her gaze to Silver, still laying down on the bed, now clenching his fits with a frustrated look.  
She sighed and went to him sitting down again.  
“I thought I was being clear”.  
“And you were Madi but this fucking stump hurts and I won’t fucking that shit. I don’t want to be high, not today”.  
“He was trying to help you know. He cares about you-”  
“I don’t give a fuck”.  
Madi sighed again. Why was this so hard, they were both clearly in love with each other but too damaged to enjoy it.  
“This is not true and you know John. Let him help you, let him be your rock. You need it and he needs it”.  
John looked down at his hands, now surrounded with hers.  
It was a curious sight, his tanned and big while hers dark and small, but strong nonetheless.  
“It’s hard” he murmured, feeling the knot on his stomach hurting as much as the stump.  
“I know it’s hard. But he cares for you and if you let him take care of you, it will be better for you and him”.  
Silver sighed, squeezing her hands.  
“I’ve made a mess, again”.  
He looked up surprised when he heard Madi laugh.  
She returned the look, and smiled softly, caressing back a curl from his face.  
“Nothing that can’t be fixed. I’ll send my healers, let them tend to that mess then try to sleep some. I’ll talk with him”.  
Silver looked at her, standing up and reaching for the exit again.  
“Will you?”  
“Of course John, I’m your friend and I want to see you happy, even in these times”.  
They stared at each other for some moments before he relaxed and tried to smile.  
“I could’ve loved you, Madi”.  
She smiled, trying to hide the bitter feeling seeing him taken by another person.  
“I know” replied softly before leaving him alone again, with only his thoughts and fears to keep him company.  
She cleaned away a tear, closing her eyes, still standing outside of the hut, before breathing deeply and walking into the path, with only a purpose in mind.  


  
It wasn’t until hours later, at nightfall, that Flint got back to the hut.  
He was still feeling guilty and offended by what happened after the kiss, but then Madi found him and scolded him enough to make him understand that he had to let Silver help him too if they wanted to make this work.  
He entered trying to be as silent as he could be, not wanting to wake the other up if he was asleep.  
“Your days of approaching unannounced are behind you”.  
He scorned, trying hard to not smile, feeling his whole body warm up hearing his quartermaster soft voice.  
Flint walked to the bed, but this time he took a chair and sat down, leaning his hands over the back of it.  
They looked over each other in absolute silent, both not knowing what to say without messing things up once again.  
“I’m-” they both said and smiled embarrassed when they realized they talked at the same moment.  
Flint nodded, giving Silver the chance to speak first.  
“I love you”.  
James stopped playing with his rings and looked over him, shocked, not expecting those words.  
“I love you and I’m sorry. It’s just-”  
Silver exhaled slowly and kept looking down at his hands, trying to swallow the lump on his throat.  
“When the men said we’ll take of you I didn’t want to. And I still don’t want to. I don’t want to be a burden, I don’t want the others think I’m weak, I don’t want to show them that and I don’t want to rely on anyone. But then-”  
He had to stop again, catching his breath and closing his eyes to not let tears fall down.  
“Then you came into my life, made a mess of it and almost left without saying a shit”.  
They both laughed breathless and searched for their hands.  
Once they found each other they hold as it was the only handhold to not drown.  
“Nobody has never taken care of me. And it freaks me out. It really does. I fear you will get tired of me, of a fucking invalid-”  
“Stop. Stop this right now. You’re not an invalid-”  
“Please James, let me talk or I will never manage to say all I want to say”.  
Flint nodded and squeezed their hands.  
“I’m scared of this. I’m scared of how it could possibly go. I’m scared I would be your end and I don’t want to. Not now, not ever”.  
He looked up to his captain, naked with all his emotions for James to see.  
Flint stood up and sat on the bed, never breaking the eye contact.  
“I told you once, but I’ll say again. You’re not a invalid. You’re one of the best and strongest men I’ve ever met in my life. Never think for a minute that you’re weak because you’re not. I saw you doing things half of the crew, probably all of them, will never do because too weak or scared. You stumped on a fucking man’s skull for God’s sake. If you consider that weak, well we have a problem”.  
They laughed again, Silver blushing slightly on his neck.  
“I will never grow bored of you, because you’re a part of me, because we’re in this together. And I need you to keep balanced, to stay focused, to come back to the surface when I lose myself into the darkness”.  
The only things that they could’ve been heard were the fast intake of breath of air by John and the labored one of James.  
They were clinging to each other, too scared that if they would move they were gonna break the spell.  
“I need you and I love you, like I’ve never done after Thomas”.  
“James” whispered John widening his eyes before moving his hands up Flint’s face and bringing him down.  
The kiss was messy and clumsy, both shaking with fear love and expectations.  
They pushed onto one another, never breaking apart, with desperation, like they could only kiss to not drown  
“I love you… I love you stubborn man” sobbed John, his eyes closed, clinging James and never breaking the contact.  
“I love you too you little shit. I love you too” croaked James and kissed Silver’s tears away, before resuming kissing his quartermaster.  
They kept kissing with everything they got, minding John’s stump, trying to not hurt each other, finally letting the love wrap them.  
They kissed till they didn’t have the strength to do anything else, till they couldn’t separate at all, breathing together.  
That’s how Madi found them, at first light, when she came up to check on them: lying on the bed, a tangle of arms and leg, the sheets thrown on the floor, John’s face on the crook of James’ neck, the latter with his nose buried on Silver’s mane.  
She smiled softly, before retrieving the blankets and covering them with a motherly affection.  
They both opened their eyes, looking up at her with eyes full of sleep.  
Madi smiled again,shaking her head as saying to not move and bend over to kiss both foreheads before withdrawing away.  
She stopped on the threshold and looked with a sweet glade them sharing a kiss, yet another, finally together.  


  
  
_Strange pairs.  
They can achieve the most unexpected things._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave a kudos, a comment, whatever you want.  
> I'm also on tumblr (sassy-little-hobbit) if you like ~  
> Thanks again!


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